Is it worth the wait for group buy keycaps

[Mewdoozie]

Hey guys, I'm a little new to the mechanical keyboard scene and I've been looking to make a custom build. The thing is that all of the nice looking keycaps are group buys which as you all probably know, take around a year to be produced and delivered. There are some other keycaps that can be bought on sites like banggood or kbdfans with a low delievery time and are definitely cheaper but don't look quite as nice to me. I'm unsure of what to do. That's all, thanks.

[Darthbaggins]

The primary benefit to the GB's is the price compared to buying them from a reseller for a very much inflated price.  I have yet to jump in on a GB mainly due to the wait, but I do foresee myself jumping in on one in the near future as there are a ton of sets coming out I can wait to receive as the builds I am planning wont be ready till the sets are shipped.  In the end it's up to you whether or not its worth waiting on a higher quality set vs getting a cheap set to fill that want.

[kirejc]

I am also new to the world of mechanical keyboards and have taken quite an interest in the custom GMK keycaps. I too was taken back by the process of how getting them works however I chose to get on board and enter my first group buy. I suppose all great things take time. I see it as something to look forward to. In the meantime I will browse classifieds and maybe pick up a set of keycaps on the second hand market to hold me over if I can find a reasonably priced set.

[jamster]

Hey guys, I'm a little new to the mechanical keyboard scene and I've been looking to make a custom build. The thing is that all of the nice looking keycaps are group buys which as you all probably know, take around a year to be produced and delivered. There are some other keycaps that can be bought on sites like banggood or kbdfans with a low delievery time and are definitely cheaper but don't look quite as nice to me. I'm unsure of what to do. That's all, thanks.

If you want to build a keyboard, do it with caps that are in stock and quickly available. Preferably with caps that you already have sitting around at home. If you want to join a group buy, then join and replace the caps when it finally comes in.

You can't hold off on a build waiting for something as simple to retrofit as keycaps. Takes literally all of ten minutes to change a set.

[zslane]

I guess it depends on how important keycaps are to you, compared to the rest of the keyboard.

I'm all about the keycaps; to me a keyboard is merely a vessel for holding beautiful keycaps. So the long wait is usually worth it to me. I waited 2.5 years to finally get all my Round 6 keycaps, but they were definitely worth the wait. To my mind, waiting 9-12 months feels like nothing compared to that.

[yui]

what i did with my build is to buy a 20 dollars set of pudding caps with my stabs and switches and then wait for the group buy using those, although i had to cut a right shift key to fit it (as i have both split shift) although it is always a risk, i am still waiting on one now 7 month late.

[cringenormie]

The wait is definitely worth. Lower price compared to aftermarket/extras and you get some nice, quality keycaps that you yourself like. You can use some cheap set for now and replace it with the ones you get later.

[HungerMechanic]

Like others said, you can buy a set of cheaper starter caps, while you wait for a GB to deliver.

GB involves risk and uncertainty, especially in today's world. I ordered GMK 9009 R3 during the summer of 2019. It was delayed by the pandemic, and there were QC issues with the GBs being produced around that time. Overall, my caps were good, but it would be nice to get some spacebar replacements, and one of the delete keys is kinda chipped [not the main one, though].

So you're going to be waiting for a GB during a pandemic and other crises. It's not the best model for the customer right now. The advantage is that you get it cheaper [sometimes far cheaper] than aftermarket prices, and you often get to pick the parts you want.

So from a financial standpoint, if the GB succeeds, then it is worth it. Because paying aftermarket for a set you want is really prohibitive. And it can be difficult to even get it. I wanted dev/tty and they all got snatched up before I had a chance. No matter what. So I had to go in on a GB.

Also, just a couple of years ago, there were hardly any entry-level sets that were truly 'decent' for a decent price. Now there is with HK Gaming and Novelkeys Cherry Profile. If sets like those had been available back in 2016-2018, there might have been less demand for premium GB sets. You can just use one of these decent sets if it is compatible with your layout. If not, then you pretty much have to get in on a GB. Good news is, some manufacturers like Signature Plastics have a fairly quick turnaround. The new DCS Sleeper probably won't take 9-12 months to deliver.

[mrvco]

The wait times are pretty absurd right now, but hopefully things settle down in the coming year.  Is the wait worth it?  I suppose it is if you find something that really suits you.  I'm in several keycap GB's right now and the soonest I'll receive the first one is March 2021 (absolute best case scenario).  Hopefully a lot of the color-matching and QC issues seen in some sets this year won't be an issue.  The good news is that resale values are strong on most sets, so other than tying up a decent chunk of cash for a while, GBs are typically pretty low risk if you have the patience.

There are sets out there that are more readily available that should get you through until your dream GB is fulfilled.  For example, Drop restocked GMK WoB recently, I placed an order last week and it will be here on Tuesday.  I have a set of their Bloom PBT keycaps and it's a solid set, especially for only $45 (just make sure your layout is supported).

[HungerMechanic]

Yeah, it might be smartest to go with one of those sets that is regularly restocked on Drop, like WoB, the Samurai one, and maybe Pulse.

[2truth]

I've joined in on two group buys in the last year and haven't received one yet. Hard to feel like such a hefty purchase is worth it when waiting times are nearly a year+ now.
Mine have also been delayed quite a bit and I'd definitely say that most of the shipping estimates are very much wishful thinking. Add 3 months to each one, then consider if it's worth it.

I did purchase a GMK kit I was after for quite some time through r/mechmarket. It was cheap in comparison to most sought after sets (I paid like $200ish) and I feel like that was worth it.
Looks aside, the feel of GMK keycaps is nice but I'd say it's not really worth the aftermarket price imo.

I'm sure my opinion will change shortly after my GB kits finally arrive though, I nearly forget I even bought them until I check geekhack and remember it's a 'hobby' of mine lol